Hartland, Vermont

Douglas Henry Weyerts of Hartland, Vermont passed away suddenly on Friday, October 3, 2014 doing what he loved to do –celebrating the harvest festival outdoors with children at school.
Doug was born in Aiken, South Carolina on June 12, 1958, the fifth out of a family of six children born to Alfred and Phyllis Weyerts. He moved with his family to Manhattan, Kansas at the age of 5 and graduated from Manhattan High School. Doug was married to Michele Mitros and had a son, Brook, in 1987. He has been married to Linda Susan Weyerts for the past 13 years. He owned and ran Weyerts and Son Construction with his son, Brook.
Doug was a self-sufficient, self-taught Renaissance Man with a giant golden heart. His fine craftsmanship was well known in homes, schools, ball parks and labs across the country, from Washington state to Vermont. As a builder he was a terrific problem solver who could think clearly in three dimensions, a master tile setter, a precise designer who could build everything from moving theater sets to pharmaceutical labs, from soil cultivators to sheep barns. Doug loved his garden and especially worked hard to make beautiful compost rich in soil fertility with the help of his chickens, ducks and sheep.
Doug learned from his father to be a jack of all trades, to enjoy thinking about puzzles and to create whatever he needed for any given function. At an early age he could be found in a corner taking apart the family's appliances to figure out how they work, and how he might make it work better. His hammer rang out joyfully at the blacksmith anvil at Little Bear Camp in Hartland, and many pizzas were baked in his beautiful cob ovens. Doug and Linda were a teaching team at Hanover Friends Quaker Meeting in Hanover, N.H. He loved showing children how to make something with their hands, how to use tools and care for the earth. As strong as his inquisitive mind was, it was his quiet gentleness and goodness that will be remembered by those whose lives he touched.
Doug is survived by his wife, Linda, and his son, Brook of Hartland, Vermont, by his stepson Rowan and daughters, Naira and Ilona, of Bogota, Colombia, by his mother, Phyllis Weyerts of Manhattan, Kansas; his sisters, Wanda House of Manhattan, KS, Twila Schneiders of Salina, KS, and Leah Burke of South Burlington, VT; and his brothers, David Weyerts of Zeandale, KS and Daniel Weyerts of Lawrence, KS.
A celebration of Doug's life will be held at the Hartland Universalist Church on Wednesday Oct. 8th at 2:30 pm.
To help Linda with expenses you are welcome to contribute to: C/O Hanover Friends Meeting, 43 Lebanon Street, Hanover, NH 03755